# Comparing the Blood Response to Hyperbaric Oxygen with High-Intensity Interval Training-A Crossover Study in Healthy Volunteers

PMID: 38136163
Journal: Antioxidants (Basel)
Published: 2023-11-25
Authors: Kjellberg A, Lindholm ME, Zheng X, Liwenborg L, Rodriguez-Wallberg KA, Catrina SB, Lindholm P

## Question

Do acute hyperbaric oxygen and acute HIIT produce overlapping blood biomarker and immune transcriptomic responses in healthy volunteers?

## Summary

In 10 healthy active adults, one acute treadmill HIIT session caused marked cardiometabolic strain and transient oxidative-stress and immune-gene-expression changes. Hyperbaric oxygen produced a smaller but overlapping PBMC gene-expression pattern. The paper is mechanistic and exploratory, not evidence for a training program.

## Population

- Healthy physically active volunteers.
- Sample size: 10
- Age: 20-55 years eligible
- Fitness level: Physically active
- Health status: Healthy

## Methodology

- Acute crossover feasibility study
- Single 28-minute exposure per condition with 2-week washout
- Healthy-volunteer laboratory exercise and hyperbaric exposure setting
- Controlled study design.

## Protocol

- Acute treadmill HIIT.
- Modality: Treadmill running.
- Work intervals: 4 x 3 min.
- Recovery: 2 min slow jog.
- Sets or repetitions: 4 intervals.
- Intensity: Borg RPE >=17 target; observed mean RPE 19 and about 98% HRmax.
- Session duration: 28 min.
- Frequency: single acute session.
- Program length: single session.
- Hyperbaric oxygen.
- Modality: Hyperbaric chamber oxygen exposure.
- Work intervals: 15 min oxygen at 2.5 ATA.
- Recovery: 5 min compression and 8 min decompression.
- Intensity: 2.5 ATA oxygen exposure.
- Session duration: 28 min.
- Frequency: single exposure.
- Program length: single exposure.

## Outcomes

### HIIT ROS
Status: worse/safety concern
Reactive oxygen species increased after HIIT.

30 min p=0.04; 60 min p=0.02.

### PBMC genes
Status: mixed
HIIT changed more genes than hyperbaric oxygen, with substantial overlap among shared genes.

HIIT 1149 genes, HBO2 222 genes, overlap 166; rho=0.81, p<2.2e-16.

## Practical Insights

- A single hard treadmill interval session can produce measurable acute oxidative-stress and immune-transcriptomic changes.
- Use RPE and heart-rate monitoring when imposing near-maximal acute HIIT in a lab-style protocol.

## Limitations

- Very small sample.
- Acute exposure only; no training adaptation data.
- Healthy active participants only.
- Order was based on availability rather than randomization.
- Bulk PBMC transcriptomics may reflect immune-cell redistribution.

## Safety And Adherence

- No adverse events were reported.
- Participants were medically screened with ECG, blood pressure, peripheral saturation, and chest auscultation.
- The acute HIIT session was supervised with heart rate and RPE monitoring.

## Original Sources

- [PubMed](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38136163/) (pubmed)
- [DOI](https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox12122043) (doi)
- [PMC full text](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10740875/) (full text)

## Agent Guidance

Preserve the paper-level scope of this note. Do not generalize beyond the population, protocol, measured outcomes, and limitations above.